A 45-year-old man has been convicted for raping a woman in 1998 on a Brooklyn subway platform. Johnny Jacob was found through a "cold hit" search when DNA from the crime scene matched a sample in the New York State DNA database.
On March 2, 1998, a 19-year-old woman had exited an M train around 9:30 a.m. at the Fourth Avenue and 9th Street station in Park Slope when she was approached by a man who ordered her to the back of the platform, according to the Brooklyn D.A.'s office. The man then raped her and threatened to shoot her if she called the police.
The victim went to her job—it was her first day there—and the D.A's office says that her boss called 911. The victim was then treated at Lutheran Hospital and had a rape kit administered.
When Jacob was convicted of federal money laundering charges in 2007, his DNA was entered into the state database. DNA from the rape kit matched Jacob's, and he was arrested in 2013 for first-degree rape.
Jacob will be sentenced on June 2nd; he faces up to 25 years in prison.
"Thanks to the DNA evidence collected at the time of this attack the defendant has now been held accountable for this brutal rape. This case once again underscores the importance of DNA evidence in proving guilt or innocence. I'd also like to commend the victim for having the courage to testify at trial and bring this defendant to justice," said acting Brooklyn D.A. Eric Gonzalez.
